Transportable hydro-electric system

ABSTRACT

The invention is a transportable hydroelectric power generating system which is capable of being fully or partially assembled in a factory setting and then transported to a water stream. The system includes water channeling features which enhance the pressure within the system that the water exerts and a secondary pump feature which serves to further supply pressurized water to the impellers on the water wheels. Thus marginal streams may become power generating sites.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hydroelectric power generating system for maximizing the use of water currents incident upon a set or series of wheels connected to an electric current generating system. In addition, the invention addresses the need to generate power from bodies of water heretofore incapable of being utilized as hydroelectric generating sources because the flow characteristics of the stream were considered below the threshold of desired pressures for use in generating systems.

With the increased costs of electrical power generation from fossil fuels, the desire to generate energy without increasing pollution and the need for more power in all areas of consumption, it has become more important to find ways to generate electricity that use existing natural resources. This enhances the ability to add power sources in an economical fashion and to permit new avenues of supply to an increasing population and increasing demand without further burdening the environment. Thus there is increasing interest in use of tidal or coastal waterways which may be close or even not close to urban areas and, secondarily, in marginally flowing streams with low inherent water pressure stemming from the flow of the stream.

In the past, most of the hydroelectric power generation has been confined to waterfalls and dammed streams. These systems are highly successful because of the huge amount of pressure by the water in those locations, and the readily available ability to turn the turbines necessary to generate electricity. Of secondary interest have always been some attempts to harness the energy contained in slower moving river or tidal systems with less inherent pressure for driving the generation equipment. These systems were never popular because of the low return of power based on lack of sufficient water pressure to run the generation equipment.

In addition, with the high cost of construction of facilities in many areas, the amount of electrical return that the system provides is also a limiting factor. The cost of assembly and material transport many times makes the possible site impractical, thus scrapping the possibility of use due to poor return of investment.

This invention, therefore, addresses the ability to harness the energy incumbent in flowing water, either in a naturally flowing stream or in a tidal ebb and flow system or even in a combination of both systems. This is achieved by a transportable single or plurality of modules that are designed to enhance the natural flow characteristics of the stream by increasing the existing flow pressures and thus enabling the generation of hydroelectric power.

Attempts have been made in the past to fabricate a low water pressure hydroelectric generating system. One such unit is described in Kaeser, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,808. Here a small portable unit uses an internal distribution chamber designed to compress the water stream into jets before the water is used on the Pelton wheel blades. However, in this system, the compressive force applied to the water flow is limited to the internal forces applied by the confinement of that chamber making the system still not fully maximized.

Kazanjian et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,765,308 is another system that generates electricity from low pressure sources. In this reference, the pressurized water from a municipal water source is used as the generating force. No attempt is made to concentrate the water to increase the pressure to make the system more efficient.

Maloney, U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,347 is a further example of the use of municipal water systems for generation of electricity. Here the pressure differential between various distribution points is used to generate electricity. Again, the initial pressure is not optimized in any way.

Finally, Baarman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,798,080 describes a system that generates power via a nozzle arrangement that focuses water onto an impeller system to make enough electricity to power the electrical needs of the water treatment system. Because of the small amount of power generated by this system, it again is highly impractical for use in generation of power for external applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a hydroelectric power generating system for use in flowing bodies of water that maximizes the inherent pressure of the water flow by further constriction of the water mass at the proximal end of the system with respect to the normal water flow characteristics.

It is another object of the invention to provide a hydroelectric power generating system for use in flowing water bodies to provide a constriction at both the proximal and distal ends of the system to permit water constriction during incidents of water flow in the reverse direction to the normal water flow.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a hydroelectric power generating system that generates power from water streams of low pressure.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a hydroelectric generating system that is capable of being assembled at a distant location then being able to be transported to a body of water and then installed as a unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall cross-sectional view of the power generating system or module of the instant invention, showing the location of the external water concentrating features and the overall layout of the Pelton wheels, pump, clutch system and generators.

FIG. 2 shows the housing feature of the instant invention.

FIG. 3 shows the Pelton wheel structures including the concentrated water nozzles and filter screens.

FIG. 4 depicts the gate features which permit reverse water flow conditions.

FIG. 5 shows the gate and water flow set-up for one direction of water flow.

FIG. 6 shows the gate and water flow set-up for reverse water flow conditions.

FIG. 7 is a depiction of an embodiment with movable flanges.

FIG. 8 is a close-up view of the pump and clutch features of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiments of the instant invention are described in terms of the FIGS. 1-8. Identical elements contained in various figures are designated with the same numeral in each figure.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the overall design of the transportable hydroelectric power generating system 10 is shown. The hydroelectric power generating system comprises a housing 11 which includes a main body which is open to the flowing water shown by 11 a and a sealed portion 11 b which allows for the generators and pumps to operate in atmospheric conditions and not in an aqueous environment. This housing, depicted in FIG. 2, may be made of any suitable material which is capable of rendering a protective environment for the system 10, and may be selected from metals, concrete, fiberglass, engineering plastics or other materials as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The housing includes flanges 12 a, 12 b, 12 c and 12 d which are water channeling features. A trap door 13 is also included for easy access to the sealed portion of the housing 11 b, so that maintenance may be performed when needed. This door may be of any convenient size and may be made of the same or different materials as the housing 11.

The overall size of the housing 11 may be of any desired size for the particular application with consideration made for the ease of transport to the desired location as well as equipment needs for that specific location taken closely into consideration. Because each end location is unique, the instant systems are capable of being produced to taylor the equipment to the specific needs of the end environment in size, material and internal components. The housing in operation is designed to be fully or partially submerged into the water system and may be placed into that system in direct contact with the bottom of that system or mounted on supports either placed into the water system prior to installation, supports mounted on the housing before installation or both. In addition anti-fouling coatings may be used on any of the surfaces in contact with the water in the water system, including the housing 11, the impellers 17 and the support mechanisms (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flanges 12 a and 12 c radiate outwardly at a fixed angle relative to the body of the housing 11, and this angle may be varied to accommodate the site in terms of the size of the angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body of the housing 11, and they may be either fixed as shown or movable to accommodate a variety of angles as depicted in FIG. 7. In this FIG. the flanges 12 e, 12 f, 12 g and 12 h are shown as being hinged to permit variation of the orifice that allows ingress and/or egress of the water into and out of the system. This feature allows for adjustments to be made to the intake portion of the system when the water flow varies, such as in streams which have seasonal differences such as increased flow with snow melt. By virtue of the shape of the angular flanges 12, increased water pressure is obtained by the depression of the flowing stream into a smaller, more compact stream which increases the pressure of the water stream from that which it possesses solely from its flow characteristics. In addition, during periods of high flow and pressure, the system may be readjusted to permit optimization of the pressure within the system so that a steady stream of pressurized water is delivered to the water wheels. The adjustments may be made by any means known to those of ordinary skill in the art and may range from manual to mechanical all the way to electrical means to vary the angles.

The secondary flanges 12 b and 12 d may also be of any chosen angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing 11, and again may be fixed or movable. It is notable that in the preferred embodiment, the flanges 12 a, 12 b, 12 c and 12 d increase in thickness from their smaller size at the distal ends and larger size at their proximal ends with respect to the housing. This thickness permits rigid stability but may be varied or non-existent as desired.

A water flow gate 14 is included in one or both ends of the housing to regulate the flow of water through the lower portion of the housing 11. This gate may be manually, mechanically or electronically operated to adjust the system to the varying conditions such as reverse flow. In some cases where the system is used in tidal or similar conditions a programmable timer may be used to automatically change the settings of the gate system. In addition a sensor based system may be used that would automatically trigger gate opening and closing with a pre-determined change in pressure incident upon the gate 14.

In the main portion of the housing 11, the lower portion 11 a, is open to the stream of water. This permits intake of additional water other than through the main end portion of the system as defined by the flanges 12. Each intake section has a series of nets 15 which deflect debris, marine life and other material contained within the stream. In the preferred embodiment, the nets or screens have large enough orifices to permit easy flow of water but small enough to deflect undesired material. By use of a series of staggered nets, that material which is not deflected by the first net or screen will be deflected by the next in the series. For illustration purposes, three are shown in FIG. 1, but any number as deemed necessary by one of ordinary skill in the art may be used as dictated by the amount of undesired material contained in the particular body of water in which the system is placed. In addition to nets, any other suitable debris and marine life deflector may be used.

The lower portion of the system 10 contains the Pelton wheels 16. As shown, two are contained in the drawing, but any number as desired may be included within the housing depending on the application. A single row of wheels is depicted by FIG. 1, but a plurality of stacked wheels may also be used. The impellers 17 as shown are conical in shape but may be of any desired shape that maximizes the temporary entrapment of the water which moves the wheel 16. The impellers 17 are fixed with respect to the wheel 16 in the preferred embodiment but may also be constructed so that they may be rotated around their attachment axis.

The upper portion 11 b of the housing 11 contains the generators 18 which are connected to the Pelton wheels 16 by shaft 19. The generators are also connected to external electrical means which conveys the produced current from the system. The electrical generators are of any type as selected by one of ordinary skill in the art. Because of the nature of the equipment housed in the upper portion 11 b of housing 11, water is prevented from entering the upper portion 11 b by intermediate housing portion 11 c.

Shaft 19 extends above the generators 18 to clutch 20, pulley 21 and belt 24. This feature is depicted in FIG. 8. This feature of the system 10 further enhances the pressure characteristics of the system. In operation, the Pelton wheels 16 are initially rotated by the pressure of the water channeled by the external flanges 12 into the system or by secondary inlet 25. As the Pelton wheels 16 rotate shaft 19, the speed of the rotation of the Pelton wheels 16 increases. At a predetermined threshold, as determined by the flow characteristics of the water stream, the clutch 20 engages which rotates pulley 21 thus driving belt 24. Belt 24 is in turn connected to pump 22 which is in fluid communication with the lower portion 11 a of the housing 11. The pump 22 is operated by a small portion of the current generated by the generators 18.

When the clutch 20 is engaged and pump 22 is operated, the water pumped by pump 22 is recirculated back to the lower portion 11 a of the housing 11. The water is then directed by nozzles 30 onto the impellers 17 on the Pelton wheels 16 as shown in FIG. 2. By contacting the impellers 17 with the pressurized water, additional or faster rotation occurs thus increasing the output of generators 18. This greatly increases the efficiency of the water flowing in the system and thus the generation of electric power is enhanced.

If so desired, the clutch, belt and pulley system may be replaced with an electronic sensor based system which would trigger pump 22 when a predetermined speed is attained. In this embodiment, a threshold rotational velocity would be sensed and then a switch mechanism would start the pump 22.

The clutch 20 does not engage until a predetermined threshold speed of rotation of the Pelton wheels 16 is achieved. By delaying the use of the pump 22 until the Pelton wheels 16 reach a desired speed, this enables the system to operate with less net energy loss during initial start-up. After the system has reached the level of output due to stream flow only, this flow is then enhanced by an additional input of pressure derived from the use of the pumped water in addition to the flow water. By delaying the onset of the pump activity, less energy loss is experienced because the system uses only natural pressure sources until the desired amount of generation caused by this source is achieved. The pump system may be triggered by any mechanism such as a timer, a sensor based circuit or any other mechanism or combinations of mechanisms used for the purpose of automatic or manual system initiation. Energy to drive the pump is obtained by a connecting circuit with the generator. The amount of energy thus consumed is minimal.

In addition to the pump 22 feature that enhances the water flow and resultant pressure to the system 10, water channels 31 and 32 enhance the flow of water delivered to the impellers 17. This is best shown in FIG. 3. Here a spacer portion 33 between the two Pelton wheels has an arcuate portion which helps to direct the flow of the incoming water into the channel area 34 which narrows at the impellers 17 thus creating increased water pressure to the impeller portion of the Pelton wheels. This is another pressure enhancing feature of the instant invention.

In full operation the flowing water would enter the system 10 via the flanges 12 a and 12 b and also via secondary inlet 25 and be channeled by water channel 31 to concentrate the water onto the impellers 17. A small portion of the flowing water would be drawn up by the pump 22 from the channel 31 (not shown) and routed via the pump 22 back to the impellers 17. Of course, before full operation of the system occurs, the pump feature would not be present. The flowing water then exits the system 10 via the flange system 12 c and 12 d.

At times when the flowing stream of water is reversed, the system 10 has a secondary ability to generate electricity by making use of the reverse water flow energy. During reverse flow, the gates 14 close the primary flow channel 31, allowing water to flow into channel 32. As shown the water would flow between the two Pelton wheels but in some applications a gate in the housing 11 may be also present to allow the system to be a mirror image during reverse flow. This gate 35 may be opened and a second gate 36 on the opposite or primary side may be closed so that the system operates the same with water flow in both directions. The operation of the gates 14 and gates 35 and 36 are better shown in FIG. 4-6.

The systems 10 when installed in the body of water may be singly or in multiples. When multiple systems are employed, they may be of differing sizes or the same size and may be placed in any configuration in the body of water. The electrical output may thus be obtained from the multiple systems in series or in parallel.

The systems are intended to be manufactured off-site and transported to the body of water. The transportation may be by any conventional means such as trucking or barge. In some instances, the final assembly of the unit may be done on-site instead of fully in a factory setting.

Modification and variation can be made to the disclosed embodiment of the instant invention without departing from the scope of the invention as described. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the applications of the present invention herein are varied, and that the invention is described in the preferred embodiment. Accordingly, additions and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Particularly with respect to the claims, it should be understood that changes may be made without departing from the essence of this invention. In this regard, it is intended that such changes would still fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A hydroelectric power generating system comprising: a. a housing, said housing comprised of a body portion and at least three movable flange portions pivotally attached to the each of the proximal and distal ends of the body portion, these flanges radiating outwardly in a non-planar relationship with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing to form a non-planar funnel-shaped member; b. a movable water gate member attached to at least one end of the housing to further regulate the flow of water through the housing; c. at least one water wheel mounted within the housing body portion, said water wheel having a plurality of impellers for contact with a flowing water stream; and d. an electrical generating system in communication with said at least one water wheel mounted in the body of the housing for generation of electrical current.
 2. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein there is further included within the housing, a pump in communication with a second water wheel, and a pump activation system for recirculation of water to the impellers in the water wheel.
 3. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 2, wherein the pump activation system is programmed to activate the pump after a predetermined threshold is attained.
 4. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 3, wherein the pump concentrates a portion of the water flowing in the system onto the water wheel impellers.
 5. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 2, wherein the pump activation system includes a clutch, belt and pulley mechanism.
 6. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 2, wherein the pump activation system is an electrical mechanism.
 7. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of debris deflecting means within the housing.
 8. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 7, wherein the debris deflecting means comprises a plurality of nets.
 9. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein the housing has an anti-fouling coating.
 10. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein the housing also includes a trap door.
 11. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of water wheels and generators located in the housing.
 12. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein the water wheels have a single layer of impellers.
 13. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein the housing as a separating means within the body of the housing for separation of the water wheel from the electrical generating system.
 14. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein the housing is of a size that it is transportable.
 15. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 14, wherein the system is assembled prior to being transported to the flowing water steam.
 16. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein the system is placed on the bottom of the flowing water stream.
 17. The hydroelectric power generating system of claim 1, wherein the system is placed on supports mounted in the flowing water stream. 